2. amps-preamps
  3. 1019273282

I give UP Aerial 10Ts and Power Amps

Ok, about 30 days ago, I ran a post stating my Citation 7.1, a 4 channel 210 x 4 (biamping my speakers) started cutting in and out at VERY loud levels, probably +100db, give or take. Everyone pointed to larger amps, that the speaker, a 4 ohms load, could take anything I threw at it.
Well, I took that word, while keeping my Citations, and threw a set of Jeff Rowland monoblock 7III's at them!
The babies, definitely high current, 350 into 8 ohms, 700 into 4 ohms, and a whopping 1100 into 2 (not that we are going to 2, but I suppose it could drop) ohms. That said, it happened again! WHAT GIVES?

It did this with the Casablanca, the Citation 5.0, and tomorrow I will be with the keeper, the Proceed PAV/PDSD combo. NOW, what is causing this? Could it be the speaker has a cut off to prevent any clipping, could it be the power in the house hits a wall and can't go anymore, could it be cables, power cords, what?

Or, dare I say, could I have just hit the limits of volume for a home and this set of speakers?

For what it is worth, I do not listen to things this loud, ever, or RARELY, but when changing pieces, I do PUSH to know the limits.

HELP!!!!!

Frustrated home theater guy trying to learn more about 2 channel!

Dan
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rwwear
2,846 posts
 
How big is your room? And yes the impedence of your speaker does drop below 4 ohms and rise above 4 ohms. The 4 ohm rating is only nominal but that shouldn't be a problem for a high current amp. You must be playing the speakers louder than you think. If so the speakers may have a protection circuit that is shutting down.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
You keep playing it loud to determine the limits and then you hit a limitation and you don't know what to do.

It's possible that at that high current your amps may be running out of power if they are on 15 amp circuits.

Also, the amps may be running out of juice if any other component is drawing power from/sharing the same circuit as your amps.

Also, the amps may be running out of juice if the amps are sharing the same circuit.

Each amplifier should be on it's own dedicated 20 amp circuit and circuit breaker.

I've been informed that if you have a high powered amp, that a 15 amp circuit at the service panel can actually limit the current to the amp acting as a govenor. Even if that's not true, you should still have 10 gauge wiring, 20 amp wall outlets, and a 20 amp circuit breaker at the service panel for each amplifier. At your volume levels you're liable to trip the circuits or start a fire.

Nevertheless, since you insist on playing your system at full volume (even tho you won't admit it), you should dump whatever amps you have at the moment and pick up the used McCormack DNA-2 Deluxe Rev A that's for sale right now on audiogon.

Most amps start straining or getting congested at higher volumes, but, as Internation Audio Review pointed out, this one stays clean, clear, and unflustered.

-IMO
sean
6,231 posts
 
If the amps were being starved for power, they would start clipping and you'd blow the tweeters.

If the amps were pulling way too much from the wall and you had current limiting taking place, you'd pop the AC breakers or amplifier fuses.

Taking the above into consideration, if the speakers have built in protection, you are probably coming up against it. Logic would say that you either need a smaller room or a more efficient / higher power handling speaker.

I ran into a similar situation with a set of speakers quite a while back. Believe it or not, changing the internal speaker wiring made a HUGE difference in the output levels i was able to achieve. No more amp clipping and much better sound quality. Then again, i doubt that those speakers are "choked" like that.

Other than that, 100 dB's at your seated listening position is NOT loud. You are barely getting into "rock & roll" levels at that point. Hopefully, you were just guessing and not basing your figure on any type of actual measurements. Sean
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